We are committed to providing you with the most up-to-date resources and announcements from the college admissions testing landscape. Here are some of the top headlines from this past month:
New SAT Concordance Tables Out...Finally!
Summary: The College Board has officially released concordance information converting old and new SAT scores. They also released information on how to compare the new SAT to the ACT. For more information on what's included and what these numbers mean, please visit our blog.
New SAT Scores Inflated
Summary: After we analyzed the College Board's new concordance tables, we found the new SAT scores to be notably higher than the old. This disparity has been quite a talking point this past month as everyone tries to figure out exactly why the new scores are so much higher. While some attribute the spike in scores to the elimination of the guessing penalty and removal of the essay from the composite score, others hint at more sinister motives—such as the College Board's deliberate attempt to attract more test-takers. Regardless of the reason, it's undeniable that the SAT scores have changed. Students will need to take those changes into account when assessing which exam is a better fit for them.
What this means: For students who took the old SAT, the new SAT scores are going to look really good. We expect word to travel fast among non test-prep experts and students that the SAT scores have "gone up," that the exam is "easier," and that students should pick the SAT over the ACT. Don't be fooled! Just because the scores are inflated does not mean that colleges will see them as higher. Colleges will soon learn how to interpret the new SAT scores and adjust for inflation accordingly.
Learn more:
Why Your New SAT Score is Not as Strong as You Think It Is (Washington Post)
Scores For The New SAT Are Out (Washington Post)
Some Early Reactions to Just-Released Scores From the New SAT (Education Weekly)
What You Need to Know About New SAT Scores (Forbes)
How Hard is the New SAT? (The Atlantic)
SAT and ACT Have a Few Choice Words for One Another
Summary: The ACT was none too pleased with the College Board's new score converter app and quickly released a statement questioning the College Board's methodology, refusing to endorse the new concordance tables without some form of collaboration between College Board and the ACT. The College Board fired back, stating that not only did it comply with methodological industry standards but that it also attempted to reach the ACT to collaborate long ago but did not receive a response. The ACT released one last statement denying that it received any such request from the College Board and insisting that the only SAT-ACT concordance that we can currently infer is "derived concordance."
What this means: Students use concordance tables to decide which exam(s) they will take, and both the College Board and ACT know that. Additionally, new SAT scores are clearly inflated compared to the old SAT. This is giving students the impression that they are scoring higher on the SAT than they actually are. While colleges won't likely be fooled by the inflation, students could be. And students are the ones who ultimately choose which exam to take. Finally, both the SAT and ACT have recently come under new leadership. These new leaders appear less constrained by tradition and far more willing to disagree in public. The College Board and ACT are no longer turning their backs to the competition as they directly vie for state and district-wide contracts. Look to the SAT and ACT to begin more aggressively recruiting students, districts, and states to choose their exams.
Learn more:
What's a College Test Score Worth? An ACT-vs-SAT Dispute (Washington Post)
Discord on Test Scores (Inside Higher Ed)
Information About the New SAT Concordance (College Board)
May and June SAT and Subject Test Scores Delayed
Summary: As you all know, there's a new SAT out and the College Board has been delaying these new scores each month to be sure it has the scoring right on the new test. Now it looks like the Subject Tests are likely to get caught in the crossfire. Last week, the College Board updated its website to say that the Subject Test scores will be coming out on the delayed schedule, too (6 weeks after the test).
What this means: Now that the ACT has cast doubt on the the SAT's numbers, the College Board is going to be more committed than ever to making sure its scores are in line with its projections. Look for delays, both short-term and long-term, while the College Board figures out the best way to grade its new exam. Come fall, we hope these delays will become a thing of the past. But don't bank on it.
ACT Streamlines Accommodations System
Summary: The ACT will begin a new system next month "to speed up and simplify" the process of getting accommodations for students with disabilities. Gone are the days of the never-ending paper trail. Now counselors and students can fill out a single online request form and track it as it moves through ACT's system. Of course the big question on everyone's mind is, "Will this increase the number of students approved?" ACT spokesman Ed Colby says the goal is transparency, not numbers. Being that ACT already approves about 90% of these requests, he doesn't anticipate a huge surge in approvals. However, ACT is open to approving more requests if those requests are shown to be valid and fair.
What this means: We have been talking about how the SAT and ACT may need to change their accommodations policies to meet new federal regulations. Well, it looks like those changes are already in effect! Look for the SAT and ACT to do everything they can to align their accommodations policies with those recognized by the state. This is good news for any student who has an LD and gets accommodations in school.
ACT Aspire Gaining Popularity
Summary: By now you've probably heard about the ACT Aspire, the modern-day iteration of the ACT PLAN. Like the PLAN, the ACT Aspire aims to prep students for the ACT. Unlike the PLAN, however, it's offered to a wide range of grades—all the way from 3rd to 10th grade—and typically taken online. Recently, the ACT announced that the number of ACT Aspire online assessments administered in 2016 has officially passed the 5 million mark. This number represents a 130% increase from those online exams administered last year, a huge milestone for the ACT.
What this means: The ACT is definitely moving in an online direction. In early May, we reported on ACT's layoff of 60 workers at a paper-based headquarters in Iowa. This, in conjunction with the growing popularity of the computer-based ACT Aspire, suggests that for the ACT, the number 2 pencil is losing its cachet. Essentially, the PLAN is out and the ACT Aspire is in. Students who wish to take a pre-ACT will need to prep for the Aspire.
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